Meg Ryan Plans To Make A Romantic Comedy Comeback In A Surprising Way

Meg Ryan is the queen of romantic comedies, but her next one will be a bit different. The now-57-year-old star of the classic rom-coms When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, and You’ve Got Mail has revealed that she is currently writing her own romantic comedy movie.

In a new interview with the New York Times Magazine, Meg Ryan revealed that her new film is at Working Title Films, a British film and television production company owned by Universal Pictures, but she declined to give any more information on her mystery project.

“I’ll just leave it at that,” Ryan said. “Getting the green light. … My God. You feel like you’re jinxing it if you’re talking about it.”

Ryan believes that after years in the movie business — and especially after working with Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Nora Ephron — she now understands the “architecture” of romantic comedies.

In another surprising development, Meg Ryan told the NYT she is also developing a TV show with Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels, which is being considered for NBC.

“It’s not really a sitcom. I can’t believe NBC might do it, because it’s so odd. Right now I’d be producing. Maybe I’ll act in it. I don’t know. It’s a limited series, three seasons. A murder mystery. A comedy. A murder-mystery comedy.”

Ryan, who has only taken three film roles in the past decade, also hinted that her hiatus from Hollywood was more of a mutual thing than her just taking a self-imposed break.

“I felt done when they felt done, probably,” Ryan said.

Featured image credit: Hulton Archive/HandoutGetty Images

In the interview, Meg Ryan described the height of her movie fame as “exhausting” and admits that she didn’t take advantage of box office power that she had at the time and neglected to make opportunities for herself. The turning point that suddenly ended her rom-com film career came after she starred in the 2003 movie, The Cut, which featured racy scenes that shocked her loyal fans.

But after a much-needed break away from the spotlight, Meg Ryan says she is now free to write or direct without worrying about being pigeonholed due to her acting career.

During her heyday as a romantic comedy sweetheart, Meg Ryan co-starred with Tom Hanks in three hit movies. The two stars became one of the most beloved on-screen duos of the 1990s. It’s hard to imagine Ryan being involved in a romantic comedy without Hanks, but it sounds as if she would be more likely to direct her upcoming feature than act in it.